Florida Senate - 2023                                     SB 732
       
       
        
       By Senator Wright
       
       
       
       
       
       8-01082-23                                             2023732__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to Collegiate Purple Star Campuses;
    3         creating s. 1004.071, F.S.; defining the term
    4         “military student”; requiring the State Board of
    5         Education to adopt rules and the Board of Governors to
    6         adopt regulations to establish the Collegiate Purple
    7         Star Campuses program; specifying program criteria for
    8         participating Florida College System institutions,
    9         state universities, and career centers; providing an
   10         effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 1004.071, Florida Statutes, is created
   15  to read:
   16         1004.071 Collegiate Purple Star Campuses.—
   17         (1) As used in this section, the term “military student”
   18  means a student who is:
   19         (a) Enrolled in a Florida College System institution, state
   20  university, or career center.
   21         (b) A dependent of a current member of the United States
   22  military serving on active duty in, or a dependent of a former
   23  member of, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps,
   24  or Coast Guard; a reserve component of any branch of the United
   25  States military; or the Florida National Guard.
   26         (2)(a) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules, and
   27  the Board of Governors shall adopt regulations, to establish the
   28  Collegiate Purple Star Campuses program. At a minimum, the
   29  program must require a participating Florida College System
   30  institution, state university, or career center to:
   31         1. Designate a staff member as a military liaison.
   32         2. Maintain a web page on the Florida College System
   33  institution or state university’s website which includes
   34  resources for military students and their families.
   35         3. Maintain a student-led transition program that assists
   36  military students in transitioning to the Florida College System
   37  institution or state university.
   38         4. Offer professional development training opportunities
   39  for staff members on issues relating to military students.
   40         5. Provide priority course registration for military
   41  students.
   42         (b) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
   43  may establish additional criteria to identify Florida College
   44  System institutions and career centers, or state universities,
   45  respectively, that demonstrate a commitment to or provide
   46  critical transition supports for military-connected families,
   47  such as hosting an annual military recognition event, partnering
   48  with a school liaison officer from a military installation,
   49  supporting projects that connect the Florida College System
   50  institution, state university, or career center with the
   51  military community, and providing outreach for military parents
   52  and their children.
   53         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.